The Nightmare Begins
by Emily Cha
Summary: The story of the very first Gladers and their adventures, struggles, and lives in the maze. Told from Alby's point of view. It is currently in progress. R&R please! Rated T for safety.-On Hiatus
1. Chapter 1

**~The Nightmare Begins~**

**Chapter One: Arrival**

He opened his eyes, but all he could see was darkness. It consumed him, taking his breath away. _Where am I?_ He thought. _Who am I?_ Then the tears came pouring down from fear.

"Is someone there?" a voice whispered from the darkness. A shiver ran down his spine. He was not alone.

"Yes," he replied, trying his hardest to sound brave as he wiped the tears from his cheeks, "who is there? Where am I?"

"I wish I could tell you," the voice replied, "but I don't remember squat, well except my name. The name's Minho. What about you?"

"I don't…"

_Alby. My name is Alby_.

The voice in his head frightened him, he almost jumped.

"Alby…I think…" he said, the shock clear in his voice.

"Well, 'Alby I think,'" Minho responded, "is it just me or does it feel like we are freaking moving?"

Almost on cue, the ground beneath them shifted, sending Alby crashing against a nearby wall. He tried to compose himself, seem unfrightened, but it was hard. They were traveling upwards, but he didn't know where.

Alby and Minho continued to go up in silence, both to scared to say anything. The ride stretched on for what seemed like hours to Alby, although deep down he knew it couldn't have been longer than a half-hour.

"Look!" Minho said loudly, almost shouting, "at the ceiling!"

Alby looked above him and saw exactly what Minho was talking about. Over head was a small square of light. They had almost reached the surface.

"What is up there?" Alby asked.

"How the heck am I supposed to know?"

The ride continues slowly. Alby's anticipation ate away at him as the light got bigger and bigger overhead. As they approached, he could make out the blue of a sky overhead.

"Almost there man!" Minho whooped as he stood up. Alby could see him clearer now. He was obviously Asian, muscular, was around 5'8", and had short, cropped hair. He looked to be about fifteen years old. Alby stood up to join him and turned his eyes on the sky above him.

A face popped above them, causing both boys to jump out of their skin.

"It's another two!" the person screamed behind him. Even more faces joined him.

"Here grab this!" a voice boomed, throwing down a sturdy-looking vine.

Alby grabbed a hold, and started to climb up, Minho right behind him.

As he reached the top, he had to take in a sharp breath. His surroundings took his breath away. He was inside a wide expanse of land, almost five times the size of a football field. A pile of supplies lie on the right side of the land. Before him were about twenty boys, all staring at him and Minho.

"Well that makes twenty-five," a voice sounded from behind. Alby turned to find its source- a tall, very muscular boy with mousy brown hair that went past his ears and cascaded across his forehead. He looked to be the oldest of those around him, maybe seventeen or eighteen.

"The name is Stephen," the boy said bravely, "do you two remember yours?"

"It is about the only thing I remember," Minho said gloomily, "Minho."

"It's the only thing any of us remember," the boy said flatly. Then he turned to Alby, giving him a questioning look.

"Alby," he said glumly. Everyone seemed to be in as bad a shape as him.

"Well good that," the boy said, "welcome to…well I honestly don't know where we are. All I know is that me, and these two," he pointed to the boys on his right and left, "we're the first three to arrive. Every five minutes an alarm sounds and two guys have been coming up on this elevator thing."

"Great," Minho mumbled sarcastically.

Alby looked around at his surroundings once again. Everything was so…barren, empty. There was nothing but grass and the pile of supplies. He pointed over to it.

"What's that?"

Stephen followed Alby's gaze over to the supplies.

"Food, wood, weapons, lots of stuff. It was here when we arrived."

"Wait a sec…weapons?" Minho asked, a hint of nervousness in his words, "why in the heck do we need weapons?"

Stephen shrugged. "Protection?"

A shiver went through Alby. "From what?"

The boy shrugged again. "Not sure I want to know."

"Good that," the boy next to Stephen said with a curt nod. He was smaller than Stephen, maybe fourteen, with freckles covering his face and spiky blonde hair.

"Hey Stephen," a voice called out from the crowd. Alby craned his neck to see who was talking, but he couldn't see through the crowd.

"Yeah?" Stephen responded. Alby was getting the feeling that this boy was already dubbed leader.

"It has been way more than five minutes…this everyone?"

Stephen looked carefully at the box in the ground. "Maybe. How about we go check out them supplies?"

With that the crowd moved towards the pile lying towards the west wall. Mass hysteria broke out as everyone struggled to look around. Stephen yelled for everyone to shut up. In his hand he held a small piece of paper. From the look of terror clear as day on his face, whatever it was, it wasn't pretty.

"What's that?" Minho asked.

"A letter," the older boy said grimly.

"Well read it!" a voice shouted out.

Stephen looked around, seemingly unhappy. He cleared his throat and began to read.

"Welcome to the Glade. Before you are enough supplies to last you for a while. New supplies will arrive once a week. A new boy will arrive once a month." His voice began to shake as he read the end, "you may or may have not noticed the openings in each wall around the Glade."

Alby looked around. Sure enough, a wide opening lay only a few yards from where they were.

Stephen continued, "Outside these walls lay a maze. You can feel free to explore it, but keep in mind that the doors close each night. Good luck."

The air inside the "Glade," as the letter-writer had said the place was called, was tense and quiet. _Someone had put us inside a freaking maze!_ Alby's mind shouted. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sniffles arouse from the crowd. Alby had to fight to refrain from crying out of fear. _What is happening to me? And why can't I remember a single thing?_

"Well if it's a maze, there has to be a way out, right?" a voice asked hesitantly.

Stephen looked up, with a hint of concern on his distraught face.

"I don't know," he said, "but we are going to find out."

**Well there you have it! Chapter one! Please review and tell me what you think! I have a lot of plans, so be ready for it! (:**

**Thanks for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2

**~Chapter Two: Horrors of Home~**

An uproar aroused from the crowd. Half of the boys shouted cheers of approval while the others told Stephen he was crazy.

"It could be dangerous!" someone apposed, but from the look on Stephen's face, Alby could tell the other boy probably already knew that.

"I say that tomorrow we should send a few guys into the maze to look around. I'm willing to go, but I will need maybe four more volunteers to join me," Stephen announced.

The apposers didn't say anything. Everyone knew it was best if someone explored their new surroundings. A few voices rang out volunteering, including Minho and the spiky-haired blonde boy who had arrived with Stephen. Something inside Alby told him not to volunteer, to stay where he was. The idea of running of into the unknown was unappealing to him. He didn't want to chance it.

"Alright," Stephen said and pointed to four boys, "you four will come with me into the maze."

Alby noticed that Stephen included the blonde boy, but not Minho. A few grunts arouse from those who weren't picked to go on the journey.

"What about everyone who isn't going?" a young-looking boy who was only a few feet from Alby called out, "what are we supposed to do?"

Stephen smiled grimly. "What aren't you supposed to do? We have food to make, a shelter to build, crops to plant. We will all be very busy, but for tonight we can probably just sleep under the stars."

Sleeping under the stars. Alby could remember doing this, but he couldn't quite place with who or where. He saw people, but their faces were a blur and he couldn't remember any of their names. It was very aggravating. _Where the heck is this place?_

All the boys agreed to Stephen's plan. One day and the guy was already the leader. _At least he seems to know what he is doing. More than I can say for myself_, Alby thought. In a way he envied Stephen; Stephen was so brave and smart, but all Alby could do was linger in fear and confusion.

The blonde-haired boy, whom Alby discovered was named George, distributed food to all the boys while another boy, Adam, distributed blankets to everyone. They were short about six blankets, so some boys had to go without. Alby found that it was peculiar that everyone here was a boy; there were no girls in sight. Everything about this place was hopelessly confusing. Alby took his blanket and walked over to the corner of "The Glade."

Being in the open was awkward for him, especially since he found himself to be crying, unintentionally of course. He couldn't help himself; not knowing anything was scary. As Alby looked around, he saw that he wasn't the only one. There were many others crying, too. Everyone was spread out in separate areas. Alby hoped that somehow they could plant trees or something so that the place wasn't so empty.

A violent shaking shook the ground. Alby dug his fingernails into the ground and watched in awe as the world around him shook and moved. The walls of the Glade started shifting, actually _shifting_ out of place. It was so un real. All he could do was sit and stare, mouth wide. This went against every law of physics he ever learned! It only burned the question more loud and true in his head: _where was he?_

The doors connected with a thud, shutting tightly for the night. All Alby could do was shake his head in disbelief. The idea of being stuck in this Glade place made him somewhat claustrophobic.

He sat quietly, munching on his dinner that consisted of crackers and peanut butter. Not much of a dinner, but enough. Stephen had said that they would set up a fire or something the next day so that they could cook food tomorrow. The biggest problem will probably be finding someone who can actually cook.

"Mind if I join ya?"

Alby looked up to find himself staring into the eyes of Minho.

"Knock yourself out," he said quietly. He hoped that Minho couldn't tell he was crying.

The boy took a seat next to Alby. Upon closer look it appeared that he had been crying too. It seemed almost impossible _not_ to cry, after all no one knew where they were, why they were here, and for how long they would be stuck in this…maze. It confused Alby so much on why someone would put them in a maze. _Well at least mazes have ends_, Alby thought, _maybe we can get out of here within a few days._

"You're brave you know," Alby whispered.

"Who? Me?" Minho laughed, "I been blubbering for the last twenty minutes, wouldn't exactly call that brave."

"Yeah but you volunteered to go in the maze…that's brave. I didn't even consider it."

Minho just shrugged. "I figure maybe I could help find a way outta here. If it's a maze, then it can be solved, that's what I'm thinkin'."

Alby nodded. "I was just thinking the same thing."

Minho laid down, folding his blanket and putting it under his head as a pillow.

"Well, even if I'm not going into the maze tomorrow I still need to get some sleep. I am exhausted."

"Yeah same here," Alby said, lying down. A good night's sleep could help clear his mind. Maybe he will remember something tomorrow.

He closed his eyes allowing himself to fall into a deep, dreamless, sleep.

"Wake up sleeping beauty!"

Alby opened his eyes to the beaming face of Minho.

"Stephen wants everyone by the pile immediately. The ol' crank isn't dealing with anyone sleeping in…says he's on a 'schedule.'"

Alby forced himself to stand and walk with Minho to the pile. It seemed like everyone was already there. They were all huddled in a tight group. A shout cuts through the air, quickly followed by another. Alby and Minho exchange a look and run towards the group. Alby strains to see over the heads of the other boys, but it is a lost cause; he can't see a thing.

Minho, on the other hand, wanted badly to see what the commotion was about. Pushing the other boys out of the way, Alby watched as he made his way to the front of the crowd.

"What's going on?" Alby asked a boy next to him.

"Not sure…but it seems like there is a fight," the boy, a dark-haired, pale skinned boy, not a day over fourteen responded. "You're Alby, right?"

Alby nodded, "Yes, what's your name?"

"Frank," the boy said.

"Whoa, whoa! What is going on here?" a shout arouse from behind. Alby turned to see Stephen running towards the clump of boys with George right beside him. The boys parted, making way for the two. As they did, Alby craned his neck to see what was happening. Two boys, whom Alby did not recognize were currently on the ground punching each other. It was both a startling, yet amusing sight.

"Break it up!" Stephen shouted, dragging one of the boys, a tall, dark-skinned boy, off of the other. George then pulled the other one up, holding them tightly. The boys fought back at first, but soon realized they were no match for Stephen or George.

Everyone was silent, all intent on hearing what would happen.

"What the f…shuck, is wrong with you two?!" Stephen yelled angrily.

Alby could hear a snicker from the front of the crowd.

"Shuck?" It was definitely Minho's all too familiar voice.

Stephen looked to his right, probably where Minho was standing.

"What? There are like twelve-year olds here. No need to be dropping swears everywhere," Stephen responded. Alby thought he could hear a hint of humor in his voice.

"I guess you're shuckin' right!" Minho laughed.

A few snickers came from the crowd, along with a few "Shuck yeses!"

Alby held his breath. Minho could be pushing it, making fun of the "leader" like this. Stephen didn't seem to care, though.

"I leave for five minutes and a fight breaks out! What the heck is the matter with you all! If you plan on _living_ then we need friggin' order, not people acting like animals!"

"Shuck yes!" someone shouted.

Alby grimaced as a look of fury crossed Stephen's face.

"This is serious!" he yelled, "we can't waste time messing around! We don't know where we are, why we are here, we don't know almost anything! The only thing I know is that if we keep acting like idiots we won't last very long."

"Who made you boss?" the dark-skinned boy in Stephen's grasp snarled.

The look on the older boy's face was a mix of surprise and utter fury.

"Who made me boss? _Well_, I didn't really ask for it, so feel free to take my place if you want to! You know what? Go ahead! Why don't _you_ lead the expedition team into the maze today? I will stay here and try to maintain some shuckin' order!"

The dark-skinned boy stood in silence for a moment. No one dared make a sound.

"I think I just might," he spat sarcastically.

Stephen took in a deep breath. "Good! Then _go_!" he huffed, pointing at the west entrance to the maze. With that he grabbed a shovel and a bag of seeds from the pile and stomped away.

Every boy was in shock. _What the heck just happened,_ Alby's mind shouted. He turned around and spotted Stephen digging holes in a corner of the Glade. _That guy is sure mad. _

An hour later Alby found himself digging holes with Stephen and a few other boys while the exploration team was out in the maze. The sun was high in the sky, burning against his skin. Sweat dripped down Alby's face as he dug and dug. The day consisted of just that: digging and planting.

By the time the sun started to set, panic set in. No one had returned to the Glade yet. Their once fearless leader, Stephen was now pacing frantically around the place. It killed Alby to see anyone like this. Against his best judgement, he approached Stephen, who was standing by the east gate.

"Hey…everything alright?" he asked, mentally slapping himself after the words left his mouth.

"Alright?" Stephen snapped, "no one is back yet! They must have gotten lost!"

"I'm sure they are fine," Alby lied. He had a feeling the boys wouldn't be back by the time the gate closed, "besides, they can just come back in when the gate opens again."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…uh, I'm sorry what was your name again?"

"Alby."

"Alby. Alright thanks, Alby."

"No problem."

Almost on cue, a violent shake shook the world around Alby. The walls started moving, slowly and loudly. Watching them was still astonishing. _How could anyone make the walls actually move?_ He wondered.

A sense of dread set in to Alby's bones as he watched as a group of boys took the corner in the maze, running frantically to get back to camp.

"George!" Stephen shouted, "Ryan!"

He started to run towards the almost closed doors, but Alby stopped him. He wrapped his arms tightly around the older boy, trying hard to not let him go. Alby refused to let go, despite the boy's protests. The last thing everyone needed was to lock their leader in a maze.

The doors shut with a boom for the night, leaving five helpless boys in the maze. By this time a group had surrounded Alby and Stephen. Now that the doors were secure, Alby let Stephen out of his grasp. The boy fell almost immediately to the ground and started to weep.

"All my fault…I should have gone," Alby could make out through the boy's tears. He felt sorry for him as well as the people in the maze. If he could do anything, he would, but he knew it was pointless.

"Everyone! Hey…guys!" A shout arose out of the silence. Every person in the Glade's head turned toward the sound. Straining his eyes, Alby could make out Frank, the boy he had seen earlier standing along with another kid on the west side of the Glade.

"Come look what we just found!" the boy screamed.

The feeling of claustrophobia set in as everyone fought to be the first to check out the new discovery of the evening.

"What did you find?" Stephen asked Frank glumly.

"Come see for yourself."

The crowd made way for Stephen as he approached the spot the boys were at. Alby felt a quick jerk as the boy grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him forwards.

"Come on, Alby," Stephen said, "I want you to check this out with me."

A feeling rushed through Alby's veins. Fear of what is to come? Pride that the leader seemed to like him? He couldn't quite place it. He and Stephen approached Frank and his friend.

"Right here," Frank said, gesturing to his right.

As Alby approached he could make it out. A box, a small transparent box. A word popped in to his head: window. There was a window in the wall. When he was close enough, he peered out and realized that this window showed a clear view to the maze. But why hadn't he noticed it before? He must have passed this very spot twenty times. The look of confusion on both his as well as Stephen's faces must have given Frank the signal to talk.

"It appeared as soon as the walls shifted closed for the night. When they close, the window is visible, when the doors are open, it disappears. Strange really."

Alby stared through the window. The maze looked menacing, evil almost in the pale moonlight.

"What'd you shucks find?" the familiar voice of Minho rang out from the crowd. Alby looked nervously towards Stephen, expecting him to be angry at the mocking use of his new word, but instead saw that the boy seemed amused.

"A window," he said flatly, "to the maze."

An uproar arouse from the once calm crowd. Everyone wanted a look. They all took turns, peering through, muttering, until eventually everyone head off for sleep. Everyone besides Frank, Alby, and Stephen that is.

"I say we just watch it," Stephen said, almost in a whisper. "Never know what could be out there."

The thought of something lurking in the maze at night scared Alby almost instantly. He thought of the five boys, stranded in the maze the whole night. He hoped they would be alright.

The three of them took shifts. Stephen would stay up first, followed by Frank, then Alby. Alby was more than happy to have last shift. That meant more sleep for him. He laid down, thoughts of the stranded "Gladers" he decided to dub them, out in the maze.

"Psst! Alby! Alby, wake up ya shuck!"

Alby opened his eyes drowsily only to see Frank standing above him, gently shaking his shoulders. Must be his shift.

"I'm up, I'm up!" he said grumpily, "now leave me alone and go to sleep!"

He propped himself against the wall, leaving a clear view through the window and in to the maze. It was so dark he cold barely see anything. He stayed in his spot for what seemed like hours, just staring. A sense of exhaustion over took him. His eyes got heavy as yawns escaped his throat. Alby wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. What was the point of this?

A flickering of bright, eerie light caught his eye. It startled him, causing him to loose his balance. Alby quickly regained focus and stared intently out the window. What he saw scared the life out of him. Slithering across the maze floor was a very large, bulbous creature, with lights on its head. It seemed to be _carrying_ something, if it was possible seeing as how it appeared to have no arms, legs, or shape for that matter, but it did have something. The sight of the thing was disgusting. A cold, rush creeped down Alby's spine.

The creature turned sharply until it appeared to stare straight at Alby. He let out a yelp unintentionally. Then it lunged towards the window, turning sharply, seemingly releasing something from its body and flinging it towards Alby. Alby shrieked on the top of his lungs and jumped from the window, not even thinking about it.

"What is going on?" Stephen yelled. Him and Frank sat up abruptly only to find Alby staring with horror through the window. Well, not _through_ the window, but rather at what was now slowly sliding down it.

Alby could feel all the blood drain from his face as he watched the mangled, bloody, body of George slide down the side of the window.

**Sorry it took so long to get up. It is rather long. Reviews?**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE: A FUNERAL FOR THE AGES**

The air was thick with mourning as the Gladers stood in stunned silence around the newly made grave. A pale-skinned, ashen-haired boy stuck a wooden cross into the ground before the grave. Alby couldn't help but shutter as he silently read the name written in bold letters across it: George. George was the only body they were able to find. The other boys who were stuck in the maze were no where to be found. _They are probably all dead,_ Alby thought sadly,_ those things probably killed them all._

The idea of something lurking in the maze had frightened everyone. A few muffled cries could be heard. Alby fought back the tears in his own eyes. _No more crying!_ His mind shouted at him. He had already cried enough when he, Stephen, and Frank brought in George's body from the maze. The horror of the whole experience had terrified him. While he managed to refrain from crying at the moment, Stephen did not. Alby pitied him in a way. The fearless leader was now acting like a lost, scared, guilt-ridden child. Stephen was supposed to be with that group, and he knew it.

"Would anyone like to say anything?"

The sound of a voice startled Alby. It came from Stephen, who was next to him. No one responded. Barely anyone knew George. He had only been with them two days. Only two days and he was already dead. The only one who seemed to even talk to him much was Stephen.

Alby cleared his throat. He felt like he should talk, say something. After all, this boy died trying to help find a way out for everyone. The least he could do was talk at the poor shuck's funeral.

"He gave his life to help find a way out for all of us," Alby said, surprising himself at the sound of courage in his voice, "for that I thank him. And I say that we don't let his efforts go to waste. We still need to find a way out."

The last part surprised even Alby. He couldn't believe he just said that they still need to check out this monster-filled maze. It appeared everyone else felt the same way.

"You mean you think we should still send guys out there?" someone asked, confused.

"Did you see what happened to the others?!" someone else added angrily.

Shouts of approval rang out. Alby felt small. It sounded dumb, but it was true that if they planned on leaving they would have to look around. He looked to Stephen for help, but the boy avoided his glance.

Alby racked his mind for something to say, something to convince these people he was right, but he couldn't think of anything.

"I agree with Alby. The shuck might sound stupid, but he has a point."

The comment came from no where, making the disapproving crowd confused.

"_What?_ What point? To go die?" people yelled.

"To go die?" the voice asked. Alby looked around for the source. When he found it, he couldn't help but smile. Minho. "You don't know what you are talking about you shuck-face."

Alby could tell that Minho certainly enjoyed using Stephen's newly made-up word.

"What I'm talking about is that if we go out there, whatever killed George will get us, too," the opposing voice said. When Alby located the voice, he recognized it to be the boy in the fight the day earlier with the dark-skinned boy who took Stephen's place in the maze.

"Well what _I'm_ saying," Minho hissed sarcastically, "is that if we don't get out there and look around, we will never get back home. Besides, as long as we get back before the doors close, we should be fine."

"How do you know? Those monsters could be out there right now."

Minho snickered. "If they were out there they would have already killed us by now you dumb shuck."

Alby sucked in a deep breath. He watched the opposing boy nervously, convinced that he would hop on Minho any second like he did to the dark-skinned boy the day before. Minutes passed but he said nothing. He had been showed up, proven wrong.

Stephen shuffled uncomfortably beside Alby.

"I also agree," he announced to the crowd, "as dangerous as it is, no one will ever get out of here if we don't look around. Obviously there isn't any escapes here besides that box thing we arrived in or the stone building," he pointed to the center of the Glade, at a heap of grass and stone. Alby shook his head. _Why hadn't I seen that before? The thing is shucking humongous!_

Alby shakes his head in disbelief. Obviously the stone building didn't arrive overnight. He must have not paid much attention. In a way it looks like a mossy rock, with all the ivy covering it. I guess his eyes just didn't notice…but still…how could he be so oblivious?

"But," Stephen continued, "we all know the box could be dangerous and…George…well George and I already checked out the building. It is nothing but a room."

The tone of sadness was apparent as he said George's name.

"So we enter the maze?" Frank asked.

"Yeah…we enter the shucking maze and find our way out of this wretched place," Stephen said so coldly that not a voice dared to oppose.

"And…I will enter tomorrow," Stephen added.

The voices no longer held back.

"Tomorrow?!"

"Isn't that a tad early?"

Stephen raised his hands for silence.

"I said I am entering tomorrow," he growled, "if you want to come, fine. If not, stay out of my way."

Alby's heart sped in his chest. So Stephen was serious about this after all.

"Well you can count me in!"

Alby's speeding heart seemed to come to a sudden halt as he saw Minho step forward. _This guy just never seems to sit back. He always has to be in the middle of things._

More volunteering voices rang from the crowd. Alby could see the boy who was in the fight yesterday slowly shake his head in disapproval.

_Should I go? _He wondered. After all he seemed like a weak shuck compared to Minho and Stephen. They were running around in monster-filled mazes while he cries and plants trees. Of course he _was_ the only one to actually see the monster yesterday. The only one to know exactly what they were up against.

"Sounds good," Stephen smiled grimly, "I saw some sneakers in the supplies, watches too. I will find out what time the maze doors close and we will start our expedition in the morning."

Nods of agreement came from a few Gladers, but Alby just stood still, un sure of what to do.

"And until I return," Stephen announced, voice higher, demanding all attention, "this shuck next to me, Alby, is in charge. No questions asked."

Alby could feel the blood drain from his face as every boy in the Glade turned to stare at him. Only then did reality set in.

_What the shuck is he talking about? Leader?_


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR: HIDDEN ROOMS**

As the crowd began to disperse to their jobs for the rest of the day, Alby grabbed Stephen by the arm.

"You can't be serious," he said, the disbelief of the situation still lingering in his voice.

"About what?" Stephen asked innocently.

"About what? About saying I am going to be shucking leader that's what!"

"Oh that?" Stephen smirked, "of course I'm serious. You will be fine, I promise."

He began to move from Alby, towards the area where some of the boys were working on a shelter.

"Stephen, hold on," Alby said, grabbing Stephen's arm.

"What Alby?" Stephen snapped, turning towards him. He sounded annoyed.

"I...you…"

"Alby," Stephen said calmly, placing his hands on Alby's shoulders, "it is only for tomorrow, okay? One day. And Frank can help you, you know he will. You will be perfectly fine, I can tell. I wouldn't have told you to be in charge if I didn't think you could. Besides, all you have to do is make sure everyone is working. It's simple really," he said with a shrug.

Alby's mind spun. Could he really do it? He would prefer to just be in the shadows working. No one could possibly look at him as a leader like they do Stephen. Stephen is way braver and smarter than him. But, of course, it did feel good to be accepted in a way. And besides…it would only be for a day.

Alby sighed in defeat.

"Fine, I'll do it."

"Great," Stephen smiled, "now I need you to help me do something real quick."

Alby looked at the older boy in the eyes. A wave of fear washed over him at the sudden stern expression on the boy's face.

"What?" he managed to ask, trying his hardest to sound unwavering.

"Jeez Alby, calm down I'm not gonna kill you!" Stephen laughed, "I just need your help to move the weapons to a more…secure location. After that little fight some of the shucks had the other day, I think I want them where no one else can get um."

"Oh," Alby laughed dumbly. Made sense.

"Yeah and I trust you, so you will help me," Stephen continued, "there are quite a few, though, so maybe we can get another two people to help out. Not a lot though. I don't want anyone else knowing."

"Yeah," Alby nodded, "we can get Frank to help…and Minho."

"Minho? I don't know if I know him…"

"Oh yes you do," Alby couldn't help but laugh, "he's the Asian kid who seems to adore your new word, 'shuck.'"

Stephen grinned menacingly, "Oh yeah, now I know. He trustworthy?"

"Very. I trust him. He may be a joker, but when it comes down to it he seems like a good guy."

"Well good that. You get them. Meet me at the pile. I wanna make sure no one has had sticky fingers."

Alby nodded and ran off towards the northeast corner of the Glade where everyone was currently planting different plant seeds that had been found in the pile. The tree plan was abandoned since George's body was buried in the southwest corner, where the trees were planted. No one really wanted to be around it; it was too sad. And of course it was beneficial that once the trees grew, George's grave would be hidden within a forest of thick trees.

The sound of voices greeted Alby as he wandered towards the planting group. Almost immediately he spotted Frank's tall, slender figure in the distance. He picked up the pace and ran over to the boy.

"Frank!"

Frank turned immediately. "Oh, hey Alby what's up?"

"Stephen needs to see you."

"Stephen?" The same mix of panic and confusion that Alby had felt earlier showed on Frank's face.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble, you shuck," Alby smirked, surprising himself at the use of the new word. Perhaps it would become normal vocabulary for the Glade.

Alby could see the relief flood through Frank.

"Now come on, he needs Minho too."

Alby and Frank made their way through the crowd of boys in search of Minho.

"He's over there!" Frank pointed.

Alby looked where Frank was pointing. Sure enough, there was Minho, chatting away with some of the other people and planting.

"Minho!" Alby shouted.

Minho looked up and smirked, "Come to finally help Alby?"

Alby blushed. Only then did he realize he hadn't even helped out yet.

"Actually, no. I've come to get you. Stephen needs you."

"Me? Why the shuck does he need me?"

"Just come on, he'll explain later."

"Well alright then," Minho said, standing up.

The three of them weaved through everyone working and headed towards the pile, which was inconveniently located on the opposite side of the Glade. It was only a few yards from the window, which was currently hidden because the maze doors were open. Alby made a point to avoid looking in to the maze. The image from the previous night still burned in his mind.

"Well hurry up now, I don't have all day," Stephen yelled to the boys as they approached. Frank, Minho, and Alby jogged over to meet the leader, who was standing in front of the pile of supplies.

"So what the shuck is this all about?" Minho asked Stephen.

"We are moving the weapons," Stephen explained, "we don't want just anyone to have access to them, so we will hide them."

"Hide them?" Minho laughed, "Look around! This place is freaking empty, where will we hide them?"

It still amazed Alby that Minho had no problem talking to Stephen this way, while almost everyone else wouldn't dare question the leader. But still, Minho had a point. The only place Alby could think to hide the weapons was the random stone building near the box that brought them all here, but that would be too obvious.

Stephen smiled. Somehow he always seemed to be two steps ahead.

"Grab an armful of weapons and follow me," he said, scooping up a bundle of knives and daggers. Then he turned around and walked away; an obvious gesture for everyone to follow him. Follow they did. Alby ran to the pile and searched for weapons. A shimmering silver bow caught his eye. He reached down and scooped it up. A pang went through his body as he held the weapon. For some reason it felt so…familiar, like he used one before. Images flashed through his mind, pictures of archery stations and people with bows and arrows. The strange thing about it was that all of the people's faces were blurred. Alby could tell he had used the bow before, but he didn't know where he had, or who had taught him. The oddness of the random memory frustrated him. He shook his head and grabbed another bow as well as two sheaths of arrows and a few daggers. Then he ran off with Frank and Minho to catch up to Stephen. Frank shot Alby a questioning look, as if to say, "What's going on?"

Alby just shrugged and continued to follow Stephen.

Stephen lead the three of them over towards the northwest corner. A small blanket lay on the ground. As they approached, Alby could make out another concrete structure against the north wall. This part of the Glade was new to him; he hadn't been in this corner.

"What is that?" Frank asked.

"Looks like a porta-potty," Minho snorted. The word porta-potty, odd as it was, struck Alby. He knew what it was, could remember using one, but couldn't remember where he had been. It was frustrating.

"It's just a small stone building. Nothing special. It's empty and really small. We can't store weapons there," Stephen said, "and that isn't what I want to show you…this is."

He bent down and grabbed the edges of the blanket that was spread on the ground. As he ripped it away, he uncovered a small, wooden door on the ground.

"A trap door?" Alby asked, confused.

"Exactly," Stephen nodded, "George and I found it the first night when we were making camp. We decided not to tell anyone about it, so we could hide weapons down here. Lucky we kept it a secret, because now it will come in handy."

Alby, Minho, and Frank ran over to join Stephen at the trap door. With a grunt the leader pulled open the door. Alby leaned over the edge and could see a staircase leading underground.

"Do we need a flashlight?" Alby asked, "I thought I saw one in the pile."

"Nope there's electricity down there," Stephen said flatly, and started to head down the stairs, the others following right behind.

"Electricity?" Frank asked, confused, "but how is there electricity?"

"How did we end up in a shucking maze with no memory?" Stephen said, "no one knows."

That was all that had to be said. The group walked down the stairs in silence. They were greeted by darkness. Stephen pushed past Alby and flicked a switch on a near-by wall. Immediately the room burst in to light. Alby took in a deep breath.

"Well what do ya know, there is electricity!" Minho laughed.

Alby took in his surroundings. The room was far bigger than he expected. It was about thirty square feet, with shelves covering every wall. The hugeness was overwhelming. It only made the question in his mind burn stronger: _who built this place and why?_

"This place is massive!" Frank said, expressing how everyone else felt.

"Why don't we all just sleep down here?" Alby asked, turning to Stephen.

"Because Alby," Stephen said, "this place is where we will keep what others can't get their hands on. Besides, the air isn't that great down here, and it is perfectly warm outside."

"But what about when it rains?" Alby questioned. Only then did it occur to him that the weather had been the same every day.

"Hasn't rained yet," Stephen said.

"But…then what about water?" Would they all die of thirst? Certainly it would rain. The seeds need it to grow and they need it to live!

"There is a faucet with running water near the place where the crops are being planted," Frank chimed in, "don't know where the water comes from, but it seems safe to drink."

Alby just shook his head in disbelief. He had already given up on trying to understand where everything comes from in this crazy place.

"Well…I don't know about you guys, but my arms are getting tired of holding a million pounds of weapons. Can we please put them away already?" Minho grunted.

"Sure," Stephen smirked, "let's organize them…each weapon should have its own shelf, there are enough of um after all."

The next hour consisted of moving and orgainizing weapons. The work was exhausting. As Alby placed yet another bow on its shelf, he heard commotion from the other end of the room. Turning around, he saw Frank and Stephen huddled in a corner.

"What's going on?" Alby asked.

Frank turned around. "I found a hidden closet!"

"What?"

As Alby approached, he saw what the commotion was about. Sure enough, Stephen was holding open a small door in the darker part of the room. The door was the same color of the walls, so it blended in. Leave it to Frank to find it, that kid is smart.

"I say we leave it empty for now. If anything needs special hiding, this is where it's at," Stephen suggested. Frank and Alby nodded in agreement and continued to work.

By the time the last weapon was placed on a shelf, Alby was more than ready to go to sleep. He stood in silence as he placed the last sword on its assigned shelf. The rumbling of the walls could be heard from above, but mysteriously enough. Nothing fell from the shelves. The room didn't even move other than a few tiny shakes.

"Guess that means we are done," Stephen sighed exhaustedly, "great work guys, thanks for your help."

"No problem ya shuck," Minho said as he headed for the stairs, "see ya all tomorrow."

"Yeah I'm gonna go too," Frank sighed, following Minho.

Alby nodded and followed silently behind. As he passed by the shelf with the bows, the same strange feeling that he had used one before washed over him once again. He stopped before the shelf.

"I feel like I have used one before," he whispered to no one in particular.

"You do?"

The sound of the voice startled Alby; he had forgotten that Stephen was still there.

"Yeah…it's weird."

"Hmmm…" Stephen pondered, walking over to join Alby, "show me."

"What?"

Stephen picked up a bow and quiver of arrows from the shelf and held them out for Alby to take.

"But I…"

"Take them."

Alby reached out and wrapped his fingers around the bow. Stephen walked to the opposite side of the room and grabbed a shield from another shelf. Alby watched in stunned silence as Stephen stood on the complete other end of the room from him, shield in hand before him.

"Well…?" the boy said expectantly, "are you gonna try or not?"

"I…I don't know if I should. What if I hit you? Or break something or…"

"Oh shut up and shoot the shucking arrow."

Alby took in a deep breath. He walked to the opposite end of the room from Stephen. Reaching in to the quiver, he selected one good looking arrow and loaded it to the bow. Some how he knew what to do. It made everything even more confusing. Alby could hear his heart beat as he lifted the loaded bow. Isn't this a risky thing to do?

Focusing on the center of the shield, Alby dared himself to let the arrow fly. It escaped from the bow with a sudden quickness, cutting through the silent and still air. He closed his eyes out of fear. A _"clank!"_ erupted from the silence followed by a gasp on Stephen's side of the room. Had he hit him? Alby opened his eyes quickly, expecting to find a dead boy lying still on the ground with an arrow in the head, but instead found Stephen standing in awe staring down at the shield, which had an arrow straight through the center: a perfect hit.

"Well, well, well Alby. Looks like we have an archer on our hands," Stephen whistled.

Alby's mouth dropped.

"Beginner's luck?" he asked.

"Maybe…try again."

Alby loaded the bow and shot. Once again, the arrow hit the shield in the center. He did this another two times with the same results. It was all so bizarre.

Stephen began to laugh silently.

"Alby you are just full of surprises. But you are also gonna hafta get some shut eye. Big day tomorrow."

Tomorrow. Alby forgot all about his leadering duty.

"Yeah you are probably right."

Stephen and Alby placed the weapons in their hands back in their designated places and head up the stairs, shutting of the light and closing the hatch behind them. Alby headed off to the other end of the Glade where everyone else was heading off to sleep. He spotted Minho and ran off to join him.

"Hey hey shuck face," Minho greeted as he approached.

"Oh shut up ya big shuck," Alby laughed, lying down besides his friend.

As soon as his head hit the ground his eyes started to shut from exhaustion of the big day. As his mind shut down for the night only one thought still lingered: _what does tomorrow have in store for me?_

* * *

**Hey again everyone! I just want to thank everyone for all of the support and reviews so far! I couldn't do this without all my lovely readers and reviewers! Thanks again and I will update as soon as I can! -Emily**


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